This is from the excerpt linked in the article: I'd started walking in the Mojave Desert and I didn't plan to stop until I touched my hand to a bridge that crosses the Columbia River at the Oregon-Washington border with the grandiose name the Bridge of the Gods.

The interesting thing to me is that the PCT doesn't start in the Mojave Desert. It starts on the Mexican Border near Campo, California, and you'd have several days of hiking north (maybe even a week) before you'd get to the Mojave.

She goes into that in the book, she realizes that the Imperial Valley/Mojave sections of the PCT don't grab her interest like the Inyokern/Sierra Nevadas/Shasta-Siskiyous do so she hitches a lift up 395 past Lancaster-Palmdale. Spoiler: she only crosses the Columbia. Still a great read but hikers are critical of her lack of preparation & women find her too whiny...

FlyingJ:She goes into that in the book, she realizes that the Imperial Valley/Mojave sections of the PCT don't grab her interest like the Inyokern/Sierra Nevadas/Shasta-Siskiyous do so she hitches a lift up 395 past Lancaster-Palmdale. Spoiler: she only crosses the Columbia. Still a great read but hikers are critical of her lack of preparation & women find her too whiny...

I can't argue with her. I live about 30 minutes away from some of the PCT that she skipped (Vasquez Rocks is the closest access point to me) and it is hot and dry and tedious hiking. Especially if you're doing it late enough in the year that you can get through the snow in the Sierras.

Thanks for the recommendation. I might pick it up, or I might just re-read "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. It's about the AT, not the PCT, but it gives me a fierce urge for some long distances hiking.

Back in 1995, Cheryl Strayed hiked 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail along the West Coast of the United States. After the three-month journey, she came out on the other side stronger in every way: better able to cope with her divorce, her past drug abuse and her mother's death.

How nice it must be to have that divorce settlement pay for 3 months of doing jack shiat. But don't think I'm underestimating her. I expect that she'll be set for the rest of her life to do jack shiat, paid for with her ex-husband's money.

The story must have been pretty accurate for the half sister to come to that realization so quickly. The cynical side of me thinks that this is a manufactured story to sell books and maybe get a movie deal or something.

AverageAmericanGuy:Back in 1995, Cheryl Strayed hiked 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail along the West Coast of the United States. After the three-month journey, she came out on the other side stronger in every way: better able to cope with her divorce, her past drug abuse and her mother's death.

How nice it must be to have that divorce settlement pay for 3 months of doing jack shiat. But don't think I'm underestimating her. I expect that she'll be set for the rest of her life to do jack shiat, paid for with her ex-husband's money.

It's interesting what you consider to be "jack shiat", and tells me a lot about what your day-to-day life is probably like.

AverageAmericanGuy:Back in 1995, Cheryl Strayed hiked 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail along the West Coast of the United States. After the three-month journey, she came out on the other side stronger in every way: better able to cope with her divorce, her past drug abuse and her mother's death.

How nice it must be to have that divorce settlement pay for 3 months of doing jack shiat. But don't think I'm underestimating her. I expect that she'll be set for the rest of her life to do jack shiat, paid for with her ex-husband's money.

Because she couldn't possibly have not needed her husband's money to afford a 3-month trip. Because she couldn't possibly have a job of her own.

Krieghund:Thanks for the recommendation. I might pick it up, or I might just re-read "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. It's about the AT, not the PCT, but it gives me a fierce urge for some long distances hiking.

great book. absolutely DID NOT inspire me to walk anything like the AT, but a great book

Lady J:Krieghund:Thanks for the recommendation. I might pick it up, or I might just re-read "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. It's about the AT, not the PCT, but it gives me a fierce urge for some long distances hiking.

great book. absolutely DID NOT inspire me to walk anything like the AT, but a great book

Cyclometh:Lachwen: Cyclometh: 100 Watt Walrus: Because she couldn't possibly have a job of her own.

Who the fark has a job that just lets you walk away for three+ months and still pays you?

A friend of mine works for a library. She gets a three-month sabbatical every five years. There are a fair number of fields where jobs offer sabbatical time.

A paid sabbatical?

I call bullshiat.

My dad works for Intel and gets a paid two month sabbatical every seven years. He usually has a month of vacation saved up and takes that at the same time. So it's not impossible. Or if you can avoid paying for rent and all that for three months, you could pretty easily save up the money.

Lunakki:Cyclometh: Lachwen: Cyclometh: 100 Watt Walrus: Because she couldn't possibly have a job of her own.

Who the fark has a job that just lets you walk away for three+ months and still pays you?

A friend of mine works for a library. She gets a three-month sabbatical every five years. There are a fair number of fields where jobs offer sabbatical time.

A paid sabbatical?

I call bullshiat.

My dad works for Intel and gets a paid two month sabbatical every seven years. He usually has a month of vacation saved up and takes that at the same time. So it's not impossible. Or if you can avoid paying for rent and all that for three months, you could pretty easily save up the money.

Shhhh, don't crap on Cyclometh's plan for his dying words to be "I wish I'd worked more! I wish I'd travelled less! I hope women lose the vote! Goodnight world!"

Tell you what. You pay my bills for three months and I'll let you know.

If you're travelling, it's pretty easy to sort out not having any bills for 3 months, given the bulk of bills are linked to occupying an abode.

I bet you're one of those people who's looking forward to retirement.

Don't you have to pay for staying places, unless you are wandering the earth, solving crimes and doing good deeds in exchange for room and board, until the Marshall comes looking for you and off you go on another adventure?